Modern Firewall Technologies
- Aaron Bontrager · Fortinet
Conference Agenda
Talks, workshops, keynotes and panels, day by day. All times Alaska Time.
Day 1 Wednesday, Oct 14
From Prompts to Payloads: How Agentic AI Changes the Attack Chain
- Logan Turner · Staff Security Architect, Proofpoint
About this session
The shift from prompts to autonomous agents is redefining cybersecurity. As AI compresses the time between vulnerability discovery and exploitation, traditional defenses are being challenged in new ways. Join us to explore how agentic AI is reshaping the attack chain and what organizations need to know to prepare for AI-enabled threats.
Cybersecurity and Compliance For 2026
- Ethan Hudson · Structured
Unmanaged, Uncompromised: Hands-On with Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access Browser
- Glenn Medina · Manager - Domain Consulting, Palo Alto Networks
About this session
This interactive, hands-on technical workshop provides security engineers, system administrators, and network architects with practical experience deploying, managing, and securing Prisma Access Browser (formerly Talon Cyber Security, integrated into the Palo Alto Networks SASE framework). Participants explore how an enterprise-grade secure browser protects unmanaged devices (BYOD), prevents data exfiltration, and enforces Zero Trust controls directly at the application user-interface level without relying on traditional VDI infrastructure.
Complexity Is the Vulnerability We Keep Funding
- Eric Huffman
RapperBot DDoS Botnet
- Elliott Peterson
Modern Threats Panel
Day 2 Thursday, Oct 15
I, For One, Welcome Our AI Overlords
- Matt Peters · ArcticCon
Partnering with your MSP for Security Compliance
- Bill Pearch · Partner Development Manager, Alaska Communications
About this session
Understanding what your MSP can (and can't) do to assist you in maintaining compliance with your security framework - CMMC, PCI/DSS, HIPAA and even cyber insurance.
The AI-Powered Adversary: The New Speed of Attack and How to Fight Back
- Ian Cruickshanks · Solutions Engineer, CrowdStrike
They Honeymoon Has Ended, And We're Oblivious
- Mike Messick · President (Deep Forest Security), Deep Forest Security Consulting / Darktrace
About this session
Businesses have been racing to integrate AI into every aspect of their environment without understanding the security implications to their data and systems. While most people understand that AI can be used offensively and defensively, few have considered AI as the attack surface itself. As with every technology, security risks must be understood before they can be managed. This talk will highlight four different areas of risk organizations incur when they utilize AI, provide real-world examples of how using AI went wrong, and discuss the challenges with managing these risks effectively as we move forward in this new era of superintelligence.
AI Security Panel
Speakers
Operators, researchers, and responders.
Aaron Bontrager
Fortinet
Modern Firewall Technologies
Logan Turner
Staff Security Architect, Proofpoint
From Prompts to Payloads: How Agentic AI Changes the Attack Chain
Logan Turner is a Staff Security Architect and CISSP focused on helping organizations defend against evolving cyber threats across people, infrastructure, and data. He specializes in threat protection, infrastructure risk, and data governance, with a focus on turning emerging security risks into practical, actionable defenses.
Ethan Hudson
Structured
Cybersecurity and Compliance For 2026
Glenn Medina
Manager - Domain Consulting, Palo Alto Networks
Unmanaged, Uncompromised: Hands-On with Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access Browser
Eric Huffman
Complexity Is the Vulnerability We Keep Funding
Elliott Peterson
RapperBot DDoS Botnet
Matt Peters
ArcticCon
I, For One, Welcome Our AI Overlords
Bill Pearch
Partner Development Manager, Alaska Communications
Partnering with your MSP for Security Compliance
Bio
William Pearch is the Partner Development Manager at Alaska Communications - working with industry partners to bring technology solutions to Alaskan businesses. Bill has worked with tribal for profit and non-profit organizations, managed IT at several Alaska hospital systems, worked in telecom and been a technical trainer. He has filled out or assisted in filling out dozens and dozens of HIPAA, PCI, Cyber Insurance and CMMC L1 questionnaires and attestation forms.
Ian Cruickshanks
Solutions Engineer, CrowdStrike
The AI-Powered Adversary: The New Speed of Attack and How to Fight Back
Mike Messick
President (Deep Forest Security), Deep Forest Security Consulting / Darktrace
They Honeymoon Has Ended, And We're Oblivious
Bio
A lifelong Alaskan, Mike and Deep Forest Security have been providing cyber-incident response, information security risk management, and digital forensics for select clients requiring high levels of information assurance for over 15 years. Alaska-based Deep Forest Security provides specialized consulting and AI/Machine Learning powered managed security solutions that dramatically reduce the risk of unauthorized activity and intrusion. Prior to his role as owner of Deep Forest Security, Mike served as a security officer for an ISP with over 30,000 customers, and as a part of a global vulnerability management team for a multinational oil and gas company with over 50,000 employees. In both roles, Mike helped evaluate cyber risk, set policy and technical safeguards, and actively interface with law enforcement to investigate foreign nation-state and domestic cyber-intrusions.
Sponsors
Thank you to the organizations that made ArcticCon 2026 possible.
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
See you at ArcticCon 2027
Second week of October 2027 · Anchorage, Alaska.
Other years: ArcticCon 2025